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Lesson plan: Disaster strikes
Adapted from Dealing
with Disasters for the Tsunami in Asia online resource
Aims
To help students acquire information about appropriate disaster
responses.
To challenge students’ existing perceptions about disaster
response.
You will need
A photocopy of the worksheets ‘Disaster
strikes’ and ‘Disaster
strikes: Answers’ for each pair of students.
What to do
In pairs, ask students to imagine that they are part of a disaster
response team which has to make rapid decisions about issues which
affect survivors. Students should complete the Worksheet ‘Disaster
strikes’.
Come together as a class and discuss students’
answers. Was it easy to agree on the right approach? What other
issues might have to be considered?
Now give out the answers
sheet and allow some time to compare responses. Were students
particularly surprised by any answers? What other issues might relief
teams need to consider? You might introduce factors such as the
importance of knowing about the local languages, culture, resources,
organisations, health systems, etc. It is also helpful to discuss
the connections between disaster relief and development. Longer-
term programmes which promote economic development and fight underlying
causes such as poverty have a significant effect in reducing people’s
vulnerability to the effects of disaster.
Note for teachers
Students might find it hard to think in general terms,
rather than concentrating on a specific disaster. In this case,
you might suggest that they base their answers on a disaster they
are more familiar with. However, the activity will be a good starting
point for a discussion about the decisions which need to be made
after a major disaster, and will also challenge preconceptions.
It is important to recognise that although individual situations
are very different, there are still general principles which will
apply.
Adapted from Dealing
with Disasters for the Tsunami in Asia online resource
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